Friday, July 02, 2010

7/1-7/2 Stuff

San Francisco Giants - Acquired P Michael Main as the PTBNL from the trade of C Pop Tarts Molina

This week’s Molina-Ray swap got a bit worse for the Rangers yesterday with the Michael Main, Keith Law’s #9 Rangers prospect being announced as the Player to Be Named Later. Main, the Rangers’ 1st-round pick in 2007, has been solid for the high-A Bakersfield Blaze this season coming off a 2009 marred by a viral infection (his 91 1/3 innings this season is already a professional high). He’s allowed 14 home runs, a fairly high number, but the California League is an excellent hitters’ league and Bakerfield’s home field, Sam Lynn Ballpark, has inflated home runs by roughly 14% over the last 3 years. Main may end up in the bullpen as there have been mixed feelings at his changeup, but it’s an excellent pickup for Bengie Molina.

Detroit Tigers - Recalled P Daniel Schlereth

The Tigers called up reliever Daniel Schlereth from Toledo. Schlereth, picked up along with Max Scherzer in the Edwin Jackson trade over the winter, hasn’t allowed a homer this season and has a 11.6 K/9 for AAA Toledo and replaces Fu-Te Ni, demoted on Wednesday after allowing 4 runs to the Twins. Schlereth has a solid, lively fastball but still has occasional lapses in control (26 BB in 35 minor league innings). There’s no chance that he displaces Jose Valverde as the closer in the near future, but he should do better than last year’s 5.89 ERA in Arizona and help alleviate the loss of Joel Zumaya for the season.

ZiPS Rest-of-Season Projection

W L ERA IP H ER HR BB SO
Daniel Schlereth 1 2 4.15 26.0 23 12 1 21 26

With Victor Martinez still out for a couple of weeks with a fractured thumb and Jason Varitek now out for a month or so with a fractured foot, the Red Sox were understandly desperate the patch a hole behind the plate until the All-Star Break. And when teams get desperate for a catcher, they acquire Kevin Cash. Boston certainly wasn’t in a position to overpay just to fill the spot for a few weeks and while Cash is an abysmal hitter (188/250/291 in 646 major-league PA), he’s at least a fine defensive catcher who has regularly caught Tim Wakefield in the past and provides the team an alternative to the only other option, recently recalled Gustavo Molina.

In return for Cash, the Red Sox gave up shortstop Angel Sanchez a very good defensive player who became briefly relevant after hitting .305 with a .791 OPS for AAA Las Vegas last season but is back down to .274 and .675 this year for Pawtucket. He’s a pretty good pickup for the Houston Astros and shockingly might now be the best shortstop in the organization, assuming that Oswaldo Navarro’s surprise 298/400/466 for Round Rock isn’t going to hold up much longer.

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